Soho packs more character into a square mile than almost anywhere in London. Carnaby Street's shopfronts, raucous queer bars, late-night restaurants and a couple of centuries of scandal all sit on top of what was once royal hunting farmland. The area took shape in the 17th century — Soho Square dates to the 1680s — and after a cholera outbreak in the mid-1800s scared off its wealthy residents, it spent the 20th century as the city's red light district and a haven for bohemians and counterculture.
That seedy history is part of the appeal now. Decades of regeneration have brought fashion boutiques, destination restaurants and buzzing nightlife, but the neighbourhood never went full glass-and-steel. Some grit survives, and the hotels reflect it: most are small, lively and built around bars and restaurants you'd want to visit even if you weren't sleeping upstairs.
Condé Nast Traveller's editors have picked seven favourites, with three standouts by traveller type. Couples get Broadwick Soho, the flashy new boutique darling on Broadwick Street with a playful, party-ready personality. Families are pointed towards Mandarin Oriental Mayfair, which brings quiet, polished luxury and more room to breathe just off the neighbourhood's busiest streets. For full-blown luxury, it's Hotel Café Royal, the grand Regent Street institution that has hosted everyone from Oscar Wilde to David Bowie and remains one of the West End's most storied addresses. The remaining picks round out a mix of design-led boutiques and bigger names, chosen by journalists who have actually stayed at each property, with an eye on location, service and sustainability as well as looks.
Why stay here rather than elsewhere in central London? Location, mostly. Soho puts you within a few minutes' walk of the theatres of the West End, Chinatown, Oxford Street and Covent Garden, plus some of the city's best eating — from old-school French brasseries to cutting-edge tasting menus. It's loud and central, so light sleepers should ask for a room away from the street, but if you want a London stay that keeps going after dark, this is the neighbourhood for it.
For couples on a city break, Broadwick Soho is the obvious pick; for a special-occasion splurge, Café Royal's history and spa do the trick; and families who want five-star calm without losing the West End on the doorstep should look at the Mandarin Oriental. Book early for weekends — Soho's small hotels fill up fast, especially around theatre season and holidays.
